Advice needed please

As some of you may know i have a 1965 series 2A petrol 88.
Upto now i have stripped it down to the chassis with only the engine, gear box, springs and axles fitted.
The chassis has had a fair bit of work already done but not to a very good standard, some places it has started to crack???
The front drivers side chassis leg needs replacing ( that i have but need to fit) on the passanger side front outer chassis side section is caved in!!!! i have no idea how its been done or if it should be like that, but where the front shocker bolts to the chassis the side wall is bent in, its not enough to throw anything out that i have seen but i am not sure???
The last thing that i have seen is at some point its had a new rear cross member, the welding is very untidy,
So could you offer any advice on what you have done or would do, i have a mig, dont want to buy a new chassis, and what paint to use after its been repaired please, i have read about a few different products but i would like your input please

Most of these chassis rust from the inside out when the drain holes get blocked.
it sounds like it’s got very thin around the shock mounting point.
If it’s done that there whats the rest like? I would seriously consider getting a new chassis, it might save you a lot of agro. But if you want to have a go at patching it up get the "Green book" workshop books which will have the dimensions chassis.
I paint my chassis with black mat Hammerite.

It may be it has been used without a bump stop and the shock has bottomed out bending the mounting pin.

clivees said:

I paint my chassis with black mat Hammerite.

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from the inside?

Yes it would bend inward.When the front chassis leg[dumb iron] is off shine a light down the chassis and see what its like.

The metal around the bend and mounting point are sound, the front end still has paint on it and under that is good steel, apart from the dumb iron.
I have had at flap disc on the grinder to it today on the back end, after i finished i found two small holes that need sorting and old repairs tidying up. I think i have come to terms with doing a fair bit of welding, so i will just do it.
I thickness steel should i use on any chassis repairs? i have some 2.5mm plate will that be ok?
The paint part?? i am using 2 coats of red oxide but not sure what to put on that yet??
Hammerite has been talked about, but how does it perform and last etc??

Been and done a bit this morning before it started to rain. The rear fuel tank outrigger was a bad repair that must have been done years ago as i pulled the lot off with my hand!!! under this was a big rotten hole, i cut the chassis back to good metal and made a plate to fit into the cut out, before i went any further i had a good look inside the chassis to see what it was like, from what i could see the inside still has some sort of finish on it?? so very pleased. Tacked and welded up the plate, will grind it back once the rain stops, and order the rear tank outrigger for it.

Sounds interesting, some photos would be nice.

crashbox said:

Sounds interesting, some photos would be nice.

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:nopics: :nothingtoadd:

I will post some tomorrow if it stays dry.

Ok, I am ordering the front and rear tank outriggers today and have a few questions. These come on a back plate if you like but how do you weld them to the chassis? Do you just surface mount them or cut them into the chassis for a flush finish? The other question is regarding the dumb iron I have to replace, this needs the front spring unbolting from the hanger, but how do you surport the chassis while doing this? I have axle stands but do not know where to place them while I carry out the repair.I still have the engine fitted, and promise to take some pictures when I start work on it again if this rain ever let's up.

out riggers if good will just weld on clean surface of chassis ,out rigger to hep get it in line without complicatated measuring put bottle jack or similar in between axle and chassis remove front spring bolt and fit new dumb iron using bolt hole for spring as alignment obviously not moving it in between so do awkward bits before

I have just had the dumb irons done my S2a. We found the replacment section was quite accruate - the spring hanger was out of alingment and tried to twist the spring. So we had to make some adjustments.

Before you weld on the new sections, stick a hoover hose down the chassis to get as much crud out as possible.

With the sections, drill some holes before fitting and when in place weld up the whole. This means your spreading the load from the seems, but across the new section.
http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz189/ruariboy/Project S2a/DSCF1946.jpg
The picture shows wher we used self tapping screws to line it up, and then puddle welded these holes.